Truth and Many, Many Lies
by shells210
Summary: C.G. has made a mistake. She pushed a Lord of Chaos through a hole in space and time, and made the discovery of a life time. The show her two best friends were so obsessed with was crafted from the memories of a man that shouldn't have known what he did. And The Promised Day is two years away. Striking a deal with an omnipotent gate might not have been her best idea.
1. Chapter 1

**Okay, so if you saw my recently posted story 'Emerald Justice' you'll recognize the opening paragraph to this. C.G. is the main character in both, and you'll notice that later on in EJ C.G. goes missing, well this is where she goes. To Amestris.**

**Also, any incorrect usage of the various 'to's is the fault of Microsoft.**

**I own not a damn thing.**

* * *

_It was on the eve of the darkest of nights, almost five years in the past, that the beloved green lantern of sector 2813 met his end at the hands, or claws at the case was, of a Kla'or'rin. Nasty things those, stomping about five feet from the ground on skinny legs with skinny bodies that looked to much like a greyhound to be healthy._

_The lantern that fell at its long claws was called Ran pronounced 'run'. And when Ran died, the only living human on the planet(amongst Tameranians, Martians, and Aloi to name a very small number) was chosen by his ring to guard that sector. The human, a girl who's name had long been lost on earth, was granted its power at an age younger than would have been expected, and as such her status was changed to the green lantern of her home sector, and put into the care of a resident member of the corps known to Oa as Hal Jordan. _

_The girl resumed her former identity as a citizen of earth and joined the fight for the light at her caretakers side. She took up her former name, the final gift of her parents, and stole away the title of Jordan. _

_Her name was Cathrine Grace._

* * *

"_**The truth is rarely pure and never simple."**_

_**Oscar Wilde  
**_

* * *

**Roanoke Island**

**November 7, 18:34**

The battle had wound down just as quickly as it had begun. The lord of chaos was behaving himself in his anhk shaped trap and the other sorcerers were either unconscious or bound together by ropes. Dr. Fate, now in the possession of one Zatara, was preparing to take the human magic users to the Belle Reve.

It was a bitter sweet moment. While everyone was rejoicing at the return of their parents, mentors, and other family member, Zatanna Zatara was staring at her father, or the body that had once occupied her father, in a form of growing despair. Dick had gone to her side and was trying was attempting to help her, telling her it wasn't her fault when we all knew that it wasn't. It was Nabu's fault, the arrogant prick, insisting that we couldn't protect our own people, taking a daughter from her father and then taking the father from the daughter. He almost took Wally and Kaldur away as well. It was the Witch Boy's fault too, he was the one who had come up with this bright idea, to separate everyone and had forced us to use our last resort in the Lord of Order. But at least he holds himself here with a cat, instead of ripping away the life of whatever poor fool is desperate enough to don the helmet. It's worse than murder.

But even while Z was in mourning I was taking a few selfish minutes to hold onto Hal, to remember that my brother, in arms, legal right, and every sense but blood(we actually have the same type), was right there, that he'd come back, just like he always did and just like I always did. It was nice to remember, a nice time for a memory to form. Hal had been my guardian since I got back to the earth I was born on, almost three years ago. I owe him a lot, I really, really do. And I was going to take these few seconds to remember that I had a safe place to be home, with Hal, and with the other four boys and the other two girls, three now that Z would be joining us.

I was safe, and so was he, and so were they. So I was selfish, because I'm human, and I'm allowed to be.

But it didn't last long, moments of piece never did. I had separated myself from my brother and was going to check on the young magician girl myself when I passed behind the lord of chaos just in time for him to open his creepy ass mouth.

"they just don't make evil sorcerers like they used to, oh well," I watched him snap his fingers and watched the Anhk disintegrate as he called his cat to his side, took half a step back and twisted reality itself(explain that Wally!).

I lunged a second to late, catching his arm just as he called us Armadillos. Fucked up kid. Of course I could have thought my move out a little better, because I heard him grunt as the force of blow sent me hurdling into his side and shoving us both into the swirling dark vortex of chaotic energy. The cat yowled and started clawing at my face and if I didn't have a soft spot for felines I probably would have shish-kabobbed the freaking thing with my ring. But I did like cats, and to be honest I was to surprised by the sudden change in air temperature and oxygen density to react properly. The air was sucked away and I couldn't breathe of a second as the heat vanished entirely and was replaced by the absence of, by a chilling cold I hadn't felt before and we, myself, a lord of chaos, and very pissed off cat, were tossed unceremoniously onto the ground in a heap of limbs, clothe, and fur.

"Well, what a surprise to see you here Klarion. And look, you've brought a friend. How nice," a very creepy, androgynous, seemingly disembodied voice commented. The magic user gave a groan and shoved me off of his harshly, standing up and dusting himself off as I sat on the ground, or what I assumed to be the ground. Everything was white and I could see neither shadow nor any source of the light in my immediate vicinity. The only thing I did see was the roughly created outline of a humanoid, and a disturbingly familiar doorway.

"I didn't mean to come here Truth. The Armadillo over there pushed me into here," He wined, pointing directly at me while his cat hissed as me. Why had I shown the little shit mercy again? Oh yeah, because I was too dizzy to hit it. I was actually still dizzy, sitting on my but in a place that couldn't be, looking at a being that wasn't real, with a brat that was impossible to listen to. Oh what had my life become, when what should have been fiction becomes the norm and what should have been expected.

"maybe if you weren't such a little shit I might not have pushed you," I replied without actually thinking, to busy staring at the truth and watching a semi-terrifying grin. I'm sure any normal person would have flipped out at the display of teeth, but I had seen the witch boys face twist into angles-like it was right then- and I fought a robot with the powers of half the league. With my team I had faced the Joker, a chlorokintic, and an Atomic nut in a space suit all at once. So I suppose normal is not a description one would use on me. However this was bordering on bat-shit-off-the-wall where's-nearest-mental-hospital.

"this one has spirit Klarion. I'm surprised you haven't stamped it out yet," the Truth commented, grinning ever wider when the witchling and I replied with simultaneous grumbles of 'he's/I've tried!', followed by another bark of 'don't do that!' and by then it was just to creepy so I shut up and Klarion threatened me with odd magical terms I don't much care about.

"Or I could just leave you here."

Now _that_ caught my attention. And brought about my horror. If that was what I thought it was, it meant that I was royally screwed. I was no alchemist, and I was most certainly not offering an arm and a leg for the truth to send me home. Nor was I going to show weakness to someone who would obviously exploit it later. So I was at quite the impasse when I watched the boy cackle like the loon he was, gather up his cat and walk right through the dimensional fabric.

"Well shit," was all I could manage to say. I turned the staticky outline, dread curling up inside my stomach. This would not end well.

"I suppose that's one thing you could say," the Truth said, watching me with that same creepy grin that was actually beginning to scare me.

"You wouldn't happen to be willing to tell me how to get out of here, would you?" I already knew the answer.

"Maybe. What will I get in exchange?" I was right. He had asked for something in return, which I had expected really. I mean, he was all about equivalent exchange, he had to be.

"I don't know, what do you want that I'm willing to part with?" I was certainly not offering to do anything for the light that was also the devil. The god of truth, the mediator of everything. The mass of nothing that was humming and grinning as it appeared to think of what it could make me do for it in exchange of passage to my home.

"You know who I am," it wasn't a question. I nodded anyway, "and you know about the Elrics, and what their fate is," again I agreed silently with the not-question, "so how about I make you a deal."

"What do I need to do for you to return the favor? Or is it the other way around? I am so not feeling the Aster," I grumbled, already feeling a headache coming on. I was clenching my teeth again, stress winding around my windpipe and burrowing into my intestines.

"there are forces in motion that might prevent Fathers plans from coming to fruition, which I need to happen if I'm to restore the balance of that world. You would have to go in and act as guiding hands to the sacrifices and make sure everything runs its course the way it should. You would keep your ring of course."

"And the time I spent there?"

"One year there for every day here."

I was silent for moment before I struck out my hand, shoulders rolling back and determination setting. It was the only way I could think of to get back to my family. So I would take it, even I had to see people I liked get hurt. Curse Dick and Wally for showing me the damn show.

"Deal."

The gate opened, the Truth took my hand, and the army of dark children reached out and grabbed me, pulling me into the darkness of the portal.

"Don't look," the voice of god ordered, "You'll get penalties for cheating."


	2. Chapter 2

**Since my flashplayer is down and I can't actually get any more for EJ right now we're going with this.**

**Owning of nothing is mine**

* * *

_Short brown locks flew in the wind as the young girl was lifted off her feet, laughter bubbling forth from her vocal cords and eyes squeezing shut tight against the onslaught of her own hair. Her father laughed with her, spinning her around in the bright sun of the Sunday afternoon. The childs mother stood to the side, shaking her head as she scratched the families mutt behind his ear._

"_Higher, higher!" she called, stretching her arms up towards the warmth of sun._

"_Cathy!" her father called, as though she were so far away he might need to shout, "If I go any higher you'll fly away to the sun!"_

* * *

"_**For in the true nature of things, if we rightly consider, every green tree is far more glorious than if it were made of gold and silver."**_

_**Martin Luther**_

* * *

The Gate was cold. Well actually, it wasn't cold so much as it was nothing. There was no temperature, nothing solid I could feel except for the multiple hands, each so small a tangerine would barely fit inside the palm. They grabbed my wrists, my face, my legs, my uniform in anyplace they could get hold on the near skintight fabric and the solid ridges at the edges of my armor.

They pulled me forward, or backward, or maybe they pulled me in all ways at once. It was hard to tell when the only source of friction was the thousands of children's hands I assumed to be moving me. I didn't dare open my eyes, I had no intension of losing something for knowledge I could live without. It was a good thing Truth had told me not to look, or I might have actually been staring at the darkness. Time became irrelevant and none existent and there was no telling how long I was in that space, in the realm of God, surrounded by all of the worlds information.

It was one of the strangest things I've ever experienced in my life.

Eventually, after an unknown amount of time I was dumped out of the gate and onto hard, hard ground. The sudden stimulation of my nerves was almost enough to make start crying and laughing at the same time. It was like my entire body had fallen asleep and just been chucked onto a bed of cooling coals.

It was a struggle to breathe normally as I lay there, eyes prickling uncomfortably and sucking in the too hot air, tense on the too rough ground. My cells themselves were screaming at me for the sudden change.

I lay still for a long time, adjusting to the environment with my eyes still squeezed shut. Things had hurt more, but never in every surface of my body and the inside of my lungs at once. I do not recommend traveling by Gate.

_**You can open your eyes now**_

The Truth was speaking in my mind. Yes, I know, it was weird. Would have been weirder if I wasn't used to M'gann being in there, but it was still strange to have a being I had limited knowledge about in there.

But I trusted the Truth enough to do as advised and open went my eyes, only to snap shut immediately after at the blindingly bright amount of sunlight streaming directly down on my from the sky. I willed the film of my mask to darken, already sensitive retinas burning inside my skull. Somewhere in the dark the film had vanished altogether, leaving me exposed to the unkind rays of the sun. Normally they were always thick enough to block out the UV radiation and the painful reflections, but when it got dark the shielding lowered for better visibility, apparently without my a needing to say.

The tingling was dying down and I once again attempted to see my surroundings, blinking away the stars in my vision and slowly bringing myself to sit up.

I was in an alley, between two fairly short buildings. It was clean enough for me to not to worry about rats running around, and judging by the lack of sound I was either in a town or a very quiet part of a city. A cat sat on one of the trash bins, the old fashion kinds you saw in movies and TV shows, not the big green ones people can hide in. Rural part of a city, or smaller town.

_**Town.**_

_Thanks, _I thought, propping my chin on my hand and crossing my legs as I watched the cat, a Flame-Point Siamese, watch me. Green eyes, clean coat, thin but not skinny. House cat. Missing collar, indent in the fur, had one, lost it.

The feline meowed, standing up and launching itself off the metal, dropping to the ground gracefully and vanishing around the corner.

**What are you going to do now? **Truth asked, somewhere between sounding curious and amused.

_Dunno. First I'll find out when I am. I can go from there. Train station should be somewhere, and they'll have a map._

The Truth fell silent and I stood slowly, dropping to my knees a second later and scowling as I tried again, one hand on the brick wall next to me to keep myself from tipping over. The first few steps were hard and I almost fell again. But I kept my balance, stumbling towards the mouth of the ally and switched off my ring, thankful that I could wear civvies under my uniform. The guys hated it, they had to do it the other way around, and actually change between roles.

But I have a magic ring, so I'm just good like that.

When I stumbled out from between the buildings I was dressed only slightly oddly for the area, which wasn't enough to draw attention. Around me were shops and I realized I was at the edge of a market place. There were booths set up here and there along the road and shops lining the street. It was mostly quiet, several women and two or three men walking along the dirt path, chatting with owners and trading money for food and several other types of goods stretching out for a good block to my right, the area to my left fairly empty but for a small neighborhood with little children running around the place.

I took in a breath a straightened up, smoothing out the wrinkles in my shirt and dragging a hand through the slight tangles in my now loose hair. When walked out not many people seemed to notice the teenagers exiting an alley, and few cast me so much as a glance. This was good, as I did not need to be confronted about my absence from school.

I walked down the street, taking in the semi-familiar sights. I had been in places like this before, small towns that still had that old farmer's market feeling to them. I had grown up going to shopping strips like this with my mother, and the feel of the place brought on an unwelcome sense of nostalgia. I needed to form a plan, not reminisce on a life I hadn't lived in over a decade.

So I let the lingering feeling of familial presence pass over me without taking hold. I had more important things to do. Well, to be honest I could probably stand to waste some time. I doubted that I would have been tossed in right before the promised day; it wouldn't be logical, but I don't like focusing on my parents much.

And if my memory served me right and my calculations were correct the Elrics reached Liore sometime in 1913, a little over eighty years before I was born, and about two years before the promised day. If not I still had a few places to check; Youswell, Central, and Briggs, though I would save Briggs for last. I was probably still a little early for that.

First things first though. I needed a train.

* * *

The woman I asked about a station had directed me to the edge of town. South of where I had started, and suggested I get something to eat before I went. It would have probably been a good idea, but seeing as the only money I had was American, and it was obviously different from the currency being passed in Ametsris, I was as good as broke. Which meant the superhero would be stealing and stowing away on the train. Wonderful.

It wasn't so bad though, I managed to get some money from a nice storekeeper in exchange for putting a few boxes away and cleaning off his windows, just enough Cenz for a decent meal and a bag of whatever the cheapest food I could find was. In this case a few oranges and some jerky, plus a plastic bottle of water. There was no way I could raise enough money to buy a train ticket, so I would have to hitch a ride or fly to Liore. The only problem with the latter option was that I was tired(and trains are great for sleep) and when people who don't live in metropolis feel a shadow fall over them, they tend to look up to see what it is. And I didn't want to draw to much attention to myself just yet.

So I went to the train station and checked the map and the times before sitting on the edge of the platform, off to the side and out of sight. For a moment I considered trying to preform and get more money, but then I remembered that I can't dance, and the only thing I can sing is lullabies. So that was out.

It was getting dark, the sun was setting and the heat was dropping when the train pulled in and I hopped off of my perch and started walking north, having already mapped out the tracks and the approximant time it would take the conductors to go through the train and punch tickets.

ducked through the trees, flying through the growing shadows before I landed a little ways out of sight of the tracks, hiding behind a group of bushed and peeking out until the train was passing and I could fly up above the sight line and land on the back car, sitting on the top and glancing down as my suit kept me warm in the high-speed. I waited, looking down and watching until a conductor poked his head out of the back and looked around before vanishing back inside.

I scrambled down off the room and looked inside of the glowing car, taking note of the almost empty area and allowing my uniform to drift away once more before I entered just as the conductor left. The only other occupant in the room, an all to familiar woman in black looked up at me when I opened the door, her companion, a youth in black as well with dark, almost green hair, met my eyes as I took a seat and gave me what I assumed to be a scary grin.

But unfortunately for him, I don't scare as easy as he must be used to. I was damn tired though, my eyes drooping as I fell into the nearest seat with a mumbled greeting, tied up bag falling under my seat as I slumped down, not bothering to fight against the welcome embrace of the sandman.


	3. Chapter 3

**Still no flashplayer. I can't download the new version, unfortunately, but I own brotherhood so I can go with this.**

* * *

"_Dad! Hurry up!" Cathy shouted, running down the street quickly, her dog at her side, barking loudly and dancing beside her as his mistress scrambled over the low brick wall that separated the neighborhood from the wide greenbelt. _

_Her father was running after her, smiling at his daughter and her pound puppy as the three year old jumped over the stone and rolled down the grassy hill, laughing all the way._

* * *

**All theory, dear friend, is gray, but the golden tree of life springs ever green.**

**-Johann Wolfgang von Goethe**

* * *

When I woke up Lust and the boy I assumed to be Envy were standing up and I looked outside, assuming my stop had come. I was right, as the name of the station was the one I was waiting for.

"Morning," I greeting them, grabbing my plastic sack and waiting until the train had stopped to stand.

"So you woke up? We thought you might be dead," The boy commented, grinning in an admittedly creepy fashion before Lust elbowed him in the ribs and gave me a smooth, well-rehearsed smile.

"Excuse my brother, we're still trying to teach him how to stop talking," I waved off her excuse while Envy started to object, glancing out the front door to see the conductor making his way down the line.

"It's fine. See you around," I smiled at them briefly before making a hasty exit out the back, hopping over the bars of the train and landing on the ground before the elderly man could enter and question from where I'd come.

From the map I'd snagged from one of the booths in the station I found Liore was only a quick flight east of where I was. Lust and Envy still travelling there was proof enough that the Elrics hadn't gotten there yet, or were just getting there. Hopefully I could beat them there and maybe check in on Cornello and see what was going on. From there I would go to central to check on Hughes, or I might stick with the Elrics depending on what happened. I had time to figure everything out. Two years there. Two days at home.

I stepped away from station and out of sight, glancing around to make sure no one was around to see me suit up and fly off into the overly bright light. It didn't take long at all for me to reach the outskirts of the down, lowering through the air and into the sand. My civvies came back and I walked into town, ring generated sun glasses keeping me safe from the blinding light of the sun.

I only had to take three steps before the sound of the false preacher filled the air, talking grandly of the great god of the sun.

_The city of heresy _

I looked around town briefly before catching sight of the glinting metal that made up one Alphonse Elric. He was huge, much taller than I was, and the spikes on his shoulders and head were far sharper than they looked on TV when I was smashed between two boys on a couch in a cave. To his right, my left, was the unmistakable red coat of his older brother.

And heck if he wasn't short.

I knew he was only 4'11, but I had never realized he was shorter than Robin, who was three inches shorter than me as it was, contrary to the nine inch difference between Ed and I. The two were on their way to a familiar food stand, and I estimated I had about twenty minutes before they finished their business there. I crunched down on my apple, making notice of the grand statues that made up the town around me.

I found the church easily enough (it was impossible to miss), and took a seat in the shadow of the very front corner, crossing my legs and looking around the area quietly as I waited for the boys to show up.

Soon enough Rose made her appearance, and it was a good thing I was used to doing stake outs with the Team or I might well have fallen asleep before she so much as entered the room, let alone cleaned up the alter and started praying. I counted the seconds to the Elrics arrival, listening to the bells chime above head.

"Oh merciful God," Rose began, on her knees and hands clasped before her, head bowed and pink hair falling into her face, "Please hear me, hear my prayer I beg of you. Please bring him back…"

"So this is the almighty Leto," Edward stated, right on cue, drawing my attention away from Rose and to the two brothers standing in the isle. Rose rose to her feet, turning to look at the brothers as she did so.

"Welcome, are you interested in Letoism?" she questioned, noticing me for the first time apparently as she included me in her gaze. Ed shook his head though, smirking almost smuggle, as Wally did whenever he heard a particularly far-fetched bit of mythos or claim of magic.

"can't say that I am, not really the religious type," He admitted while I shook my head in response, in case she had directed her question at me as well.

"well I'm sorry to hear that. To know God is to know hope. If we believe in his divine grace then through him all things are possible," the amount of faith Rose had really was amazing, or maybe, knowing what I knew, it was sad. To have hope in something false, to have no chance of getting your wish no matter what you do, or how hard you work. But at the same time, was it worse than having no hope at all? Being locked in the dark of logic where miracles didn't exist?

"if you believed," the girl continued, face lighting up excitedly, "Surely Leto would bless you and make you grow taller!" Poor Ed had to be held back by Al at the unintended crack at his height. The kid was so small though, it was hard not to comment on it. I was always giving Elise a hard time on her measly height, so it was a struggle not to laugh at the offense Ed took.

But the alchemist let it go with an grunt and dropped into the bench a few feet away from me, taking on a relaxed posture that most boys seemed to share.

"what about bringing the dead back to life?" he questioned, sounding more annoyed than curious. But that was Ed, and I didn't much blame him. "Do you believe that's possible too?" the sharp tone of his voice had me frowning, Leto knows Rose didn't need to be snapped at like that. But she nodded, smiling gently as she bowed her head.

"Yes."

Ed sighed, looking annoyed and part of me wanted to hit the kid for being so callous. Let the girl have hope in what you say is impossible. What had he done just a few years before? Al was silent, as he usually was when his brother was working, and I watched him reach into his pocket and pull out the little brown book he carried around, flipping it open and start reciting ingredients.

Poor Rose could only stare in confusion as the elder Elric snapped the book shut harshly and bent forward, tense.

"that list represents the complete chemical make up the human body from the average adult. Its been calculated to the last microgram, but still there's never been one reported case of successfully creating a human life. And you're telling me something modern science can't do you can do with prayer?"

I stood up when Rose jumped forward, glaring at Ed darkly while I started to slip away, jumping over the bench and ducking past Alphonse with a minute apology.

"Lift thy voice to god!" Rose ordered," and the prayers of the faithful shall be answered!"

"Did I mention all those ingredients I read off?" Ed replied, kicking back and looking smug in his attempt to kill the only hope Rose had of seeing her love again, "down at the market a kid could buy every one of them with the spare change in his pocket. As it turns out, humans are pretty cheap."

_You would know, wouldn't you Elric?_

I reached the alter and looked up at Leto, took in the small signs of the transmutation that had been left behind when it was created, probably by the father.

"no that's blasphemy," poor Rose was still objecting, defending her hope. She would make a good blue lantern, maybe a good star sapphire, if she was a bit more angry, "People are, we are all children of God, created in his image."

Ed chuckled quietly.

"You have to understand, Alchemists are scientists. We don't believe in improvable concepts like Creators or Gods. We observe the physical laws that govern this world, to try to learn the truth. Its ironic really, that through the application of science we have, in many ways, been given the power to play God ourselves."

"So you're putting yourself on the same level of God? That's just, sheer arrogance!" Rose exclaimed from behind me, anger clear in her voice. I could disagree with her. She had every right to be so upset, I would be equally angry if the Corps were to be insulted, though I suppose it was different considering I was a part of them and could prove them real.

"you know there's an old myth, who flew on wings made of wax. He thought he could touch the sun. but when he came to close his wings melted and he came crashing back down to earth. Right Al?"

"Brother," the all but empty suit said, almost in warning, or as a reminder.

"I'm sorry miss, this is a difficult thing for me to ask," I sighed when his personality shot from arrogant to semi-humble, "but do you think your Father Cornello could save even an arrogant scientist like me?"

Brat.

"Of course!" Rose exclaimed, and I was reminded of M'gann by her joy, "That's wonderful! If anyone could lead you to the creators light he can!" I had walked past the side of the alter, into the darkness of the sidebar and out of sight.

Honestly, how had those two not gotten themselves killed yet? Weren't they just talking about observing the world around them?

* * *

I had managed to find my way to the large stone room father Cornello used, or what I assumed to be it, and had managed to tuck myself away in the top corner of the room where I wouldn't be seen. I had to make sure nothing happened to the two boys before I went to Central, and from there, depending on how long it took, I would either go to Rushvalley or Resembool, maybe East City as well. It would be a good idea to keep a close eye on the key players, which would mean dropping by Dublith to check in on Greed and his pack, but I didn't think they were operating just yet.

Then again, I was starting to confuse timelines between 03' and brotherhood, which was undoubtedly where I was. So Central first, drop in on Hughes, and then off to see if I could hunt down a nest of devils in Dublith, maybe try and find Izumi and Sig to see how they went.

Ed and Al entered the room, talking casually and vowing not to take to much of Cornello's oh-so-valuable time. It wasn't but a few seconds later that the guards were down and Rose was being told to shoot the Elrics. It really was sad, she didn't deserve such pressure. But my sympathy ended when the girl actually pulled the trigger.

Al's head went flying and the preist began his speech about alchemists and heresy and other such things before calling out the chimera. Personally I think I preferred Teekl, that thing was just weird looking. And Ed lost his coat and part of his shirt, and the chimera was thrown away from him. They were handling things just the same as I remembered.

Then Cornello opened fire and they started to run. One of the guards was about to shoot Ed in the back, but a quick zap of energy from my ring had him down for the count while the Elrics took off and the church went after them.

And with that done it was time for me to go. I didn't think the train would be a good idea, and I was actually wondering why Envy had been with Lust instead of Gluttony. Maybe he had been locked up to keep him from eating the train? It didn't really matter, but now that things were running smoothly it was about time I got going.

I dropped to the ground and stepped out of the arena, passing the unconscious guards and making my way up to the front door. I waited there, sitting on the front statue and watched the citizens curiously, waiting patiently for the shock and horror to set into the people of the town.

It would be a little while before the boys came out. and then Rose would try and get them to give her the stone.

And I needed to look in on central. I decided then, watching the people as the announcement went on, that I would go to East City after Central. Maybe I could help Nina. I knew from Kilowag that it was possible to store souls in our rings and restore them to their physical forms, but I wasn't sure if I could separate two merged souls into two separate bodies. I would have to find out though. I was aware that I couldn't just waltz up to Mustang and explain what Tucker had done to his wife, let alone what he would do to Nina, and it was an experience the boys needed to have if they were to progress as needed.

It wouldn't be fun though.


	4. Chapter 4

**Next chapter. **

"_Mommy?" the woman looked down from where she was chopping up walnuts, finding the wide, dark eyes of her daughter looking up at her curiously. _

"_Yes Cathy?" she asked, recognizing the look in the child's face, "did you want to help me with the brownies?" _

_The girls face split into a wide grin and she nodded happily, running over to the retrieve a chair from the dining room and dragging it back across the hardwood floor, scrambling on top of it and managing to peek over the edge of the counter. The older woman smiled and reached over to brush the dark hair out of the four year olds eyes, the same color as her husbands, before pushing the metal bowl of chocolate towards the child and pouring in the chopped up nuts, watching as the girls tiny hands took the spoon and whisked it around the edge. _

"_Is this right mommy?"_

"_That's perfect Cathy."_

* * *

"_**If I keep a green bough in my heart, then the singing bird will come"**_

_**Chinese Proverbs**_

* * *

It was way too bright.

The sun was beating down harshly on my back as I flew across the Amestrian country side, eyes glued on the ground in case something needed my interference. Luckily nothing did, because the very last thing I needed was rumors popping up of a girl in green doing magic, or whatever they would call me here. Central was going to be my first stop, and I actually only planned on dropping in briefly to see what was happening. It should be about then that Scar began his murders, and as much as I loathe admitting it I wasn't going to stop him. It was his mission, and I was to make sure that things went the way they should, and that couldn't happen if Scar didn't do what he did.

I know, I know, I'm supposed to save lives, not let them be lost. But Scar needed to be a murderer before he was a hero. And if the League ever found out I knew someone was killing people and I didn't even try to stop them, I would be off the Team completely.

I wasn't going to let Hughes die though, even it was selfish and playing favorites, I was keeping him alive. Out of sight though, like what Mustang did with Maria Ross, only no one, not Mustang, not Gracia, not the Elrics, could know about it until the very end. Or at least I hoped I would be able to pull it off. I can't construct full colored and bleeding bodies, sadly, and I can't conjure up images either. Well, I could, but they were always green tinted.

So it wasn't going to be easy, actually knowing Envy it might be impossible.

But I would at least attempt it.

I landed a little ways off the beaten path, my ring getting glitchy with its power. I needed to charge it still, I had been flying since I left Liore, and I couldn't really power it on the train the night before thanks to Envy and Lust being present. That would have been fun to explain.

It didn't matter though, I was out of sight by then, a little ways off the road and into a short store of foliage. I was a few miles west of New Optain, visible from a few miles in the sky, and a few more hours away from Central if I was going at a speed bellow sound. There was no need for me to push it, or to fly at anything but a casual speed no matter how amusing I found it.

I had already laid down and pulled my Battery out of its personal pocket dimension* and set about reciting my Oath, ring off and charging nicely. It was peaceful and convenient, quiet in the shade of the tree. It was times like that, when no one needed to be saved and the world was safe for _just one minute_ that I honestly got to think about my life.

But thinking is too much work and I needed to sleep, catch up on the Z's I missed normally. I could fall asleep anywhere you know. Years of sleeping on rocks will do that to a person. And that's exactly what I did when I got to lay back and relax, hands behind my head and eyes closed.

* * *

When I did wake up it was twilight and my ring was floating in front of its battery a few feet away. But it was what was blocking me from my ring that was worrisome. A body, male, crouched in front of the glowing green lantern, head tilted and casting a long shadow behind him. I had barely sat up when there was a very cold, very familiar feeling on my neck.

A knife.

"Well this fucking figures," I grumbled, staying still and watching the figure shift around to look at me.

I almost fell over from surprise when I caught sight of the facial features of the guy. Young man, dark hair, mostly pulled back with a decent amount in front of his face. Sword strapped to his back, eyes squinting shut, yellow shirt and no actual shirt.

I was facing the twelfth prince of Xing, one Ling Yao, which would mean that it was probably LanFan holding a knife to my neck, seeing as Fu had just dropped out of a tree to stand behind his prince.

"Hello," Ling greeted, raising a hand casually and watching me and LanFan through slit eyes.

"Sup'?" I replied, taking a chance to glance at LanFan. She almost reminded me of Cheshire with the mask and the black hair, but less likely to kill me and less likely to flirt with Roy. Or anyone for that matter.

"'Sup'?'" the Xingese boy quotes, looking fairly confused. His accent was barely noticeable, but I wasn't sure if Amestrians used regular slang like mine, let along if some kid from Xing would know it.

"sup', like 'what's up', 'what's going on', 'why the hell is some girl getting ready to gut me'?" I sent a very pointed look to LanFan, leaning back on my hands and letting her push her knife down after me, frowning when the wind blew and the tassels on her mask blew into my face.

"LanFan," Ling made a gesture with his hand, smiling in that cheerful way that was honestly pretty damn creepy. But the girl obeyed, albeit grudgingly, and pulled the blade away from my neck, allowing me to sit up straight.

"Young lord, is it wise to let her do that?" LanFan asked while I stood up and crossed a few feet away to drop next to Ling, no longer allowing him to separate me from my weapon. Ling laughed and waved it off, smiling easily.

"You worry too much LanFan, what can she do?" I frowned, and glared at him, scooting closer to my lantern. It always seemed like I was being underestimated, although I will admit my civvies are far from threatening.

"Hey!" I objected, wondering if Fu would take off my arm if I flicked the prince. Probably not, but LanFan wouldn't like me very much.

"Hi," Ling replied, grinning still.

I frowned at him, crossing my arms over my chest and legs under my rear end.

"Was there a reason you were here or do you just like creepy on girl in the woods?"

"What's that?" well I probably should have known that he was wondering about the strangely glowing lantern. But if I acted like it was normal Amestrian thing maybe he wouldn't question in to much?

"It's a lantern," I replied, as if it were the most obviously thing in the world. Which it was.

"But why's it green?"

"Well why not?"

"Isn't light usually white?" he questioned, sitting next to me and looking at the battery while his guards stood just a bit too close for me to feel entirely unthreatened.

"I like it being green," I replied, plucking my ring out of the light and sliding it onto my finger idly, drawing an odd look from the prince, "What? Never seen a ring before?"

"Of course I have," the boy replied, and I realized that aside from Fu I was, as per usual, the oldest person there.

"No, you haven't, or else you wouldn't have had to ask what it was." I stood up, brushing myself off and offering Ling my hand, "I'm Catherine Grace, friends call me C.G. and you are?" I watched Ling grin wider and he reached up, taking my hand and standing to shake it on equal footing.

"I'm Ling Yao, pleased to meet you, Catherine Grace. This is LanFan, and old man Fu," he tilted his head back to the two body guards and I smiled, pulling my hand back and waving at them with a simple 'hey'.

"I'm sorry to say it, but I need to get going. I was supposed to get to central before nightfall, but it looks like I'm stuck crashing in New Octain for the night. Time flies when one sleeps yeah? Although I suppose at this point I probably don't need to sleep tonight, so I might be able to just skip the town and keep going?" I mumbled, twirling a bit of hair between my fingers and frowning at the ground, mentally calculating how long it would take for a glowing green ball to get across the country inconspicuously. I would have to avoid populated areas entirely at night…

"hey, we could come with you!" Ling said, surprising both myself and his now protesting young guard.

"Ah, no," I shook my head, smiling at him easily. He was nice, I had no doubt he was still wondering about my lantern, but it was refreshing to encounter a strange, squinty eyes dude that wasn't after you blood. Or head. Or any other part of your body. "I wouldn't want to bug you. Besides, I don't really trust people who almost stab me first off the bat."

"LanFan didn't almost stab you though," the boy pointed out.

"no," I agreed, already starting to walk past them, on Fu's side, not LanFans, "she almost cut open my Tracea. I'll be seeing you around Ling," I waved at them again, ignoring the princes attempts to convince me that it was dangerous at night ('you're the ones that almost killed me'), that they were great company ('I'm not in the mood to socialize dear'), and that he still wanted to know about the green lantern and the ring ('you'll figure out eventually'). We were actually into the city by the time the younger boy finally let me go about me own way.

_Jesus he was persistent. He's probably still tailing me too. Shit this is a pain in the ass. And I can' just fly off , it would be to hard to explain._

I leapt over a crack in pavement, hands falling into my to-small pockets.

_Let's see, top speed is Mach 12 if I really want to push it. And if Wally is to be believed, the human eye can see around 225,308 meters per seconds, and Mach 12 is 4,083.28 according to my ring, so I can't fly fast enough to vanish. If I just fly strait up going as fast as I can without building up speed then that wouldn't work either._

The city around me wasn't quiet, I had managed to come in on the business district, and people were still bustling around, in and out of bars and rushing home from their anointed twelve hours.

_It would cause a sonic boom and potentially deafen people around me, so no to that idea._

A little boy was sleeping in his mother's arms while she opened up the car door, shoving groceries in and tucking the little one inside before taking the driver's seat and starting up.

_This seems like too much thinking. Maybe I should just say screw it, fly off, and explain later?_

I ducked off the main street, twisting my ring and looking around to make sure no one was paying any mind to me. But I could still feel eyes on me, and out of the corner of my own I saw movement. But maybe I'd been in the life to long, maybe I'd gone paranoid from years of dropping on girls getting cornered in alleys like the one I was in.

Whatever the case was it didn't matter.

I twisted the bit of metal around one final time before my uniform took shape and I took off, barely avoiding the speed of sound and passing by my followers, Fu and LanFan. The minute I was clear of causing damage I broke through the barrier of sound and shot in the direction of central, moving south further to make sure that if they tried tracking me they would end up in Rushvalley like they were supposed to.

It was going to hard to explain the next time I saw the three of them.


End file.
